14 comments:

I have to say that at some of my contract assignments, I don't use the overhead lights, since my computer screens provide enough light for me to work. Sometimes the maintenance people will come in and assume that my lights aren't working. I try to catch them before they start, and turn on the lights so that they can see the actual burned out bulbs.Generally, the ones that smoke when I turn them on need to be replaced...

I worked in a large (multi-square-block) campus with centralized maintenance.

I called maintenance up and told them I had water dripping out of one of the overhead lights. They told me they weren't interested, and would only come over if I had electricity coming out of one of the plumbing fixtures.

Of course, this was a place that equipped their maintenance men with only 3 things - an electrician's screwdriver, a pair of pump pliers, and a spray can of WD40. You should note the omission of any cognitive skills in that list...

You might have deliberately turned off/unplugged the light above your desk. I have been known to tape light switches in the off position to keep everyone from turning them on and washing out my screen with glare.

I'm on the side of calling the maintenance guy a genius. Flourescent lights give me headaches. I used to keep the overheads off and work with a small desk lamp. Folks passing by would call maintenance "for me" and report my lights as disfunctional. After about three years the guys in the overalls got so they'd call and ask me to check to see if the overheads worked before they came up to waste their and my time.

Even if only the lights right above your desk are out there might be an explanation that does not require climbing up a ladder.

The Computer Dudes in my office have their overhead lights turned off because of glare. They wanted MY lights switched off, too, but I pointed out that I still need to read stuff that's not on a computer screen. Yes, we still have paper here.

Welcome to my whining!

This blog is entirely for entertainment purposes. All posts about patients may be fictional, or be my experience, or were submitted by a reader, or any combination of the above. Factual statements may or may not be accurate.

Singing Foo!

Have Dr. Grumpy delivered automatically to your Kindle for only 99 cents a month! Sign up here!

Dr. Grumpy is for hire! Need an article written (humorous, medical, or otherwise) or want to commission a genuine Grumpy piece for your newspaper/magazine/toilet paper roll? Contact me to discuss subjects. You can reach me at the email address below.

Note: I do not answer medical questions. If you are having a medical issue, see your own doctor. For all you know I'm really a Mongolian yak herder and have no medical training at all except in issues regarding the care and feeding of Mongolian yaks.